Integrating abortion within a specialist contraceptive service (IASC): a qualitative evaluation of the experiences of women and health professionals

The IASC Study focuses on the provision of early medical abortion (EMA) services in Scotland from the perspectives of both women who have had an EMA and staff involved in its provision. The study will contribute to the evaluation of a new model of abortion provision within an integrated, community-based sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service. It will compare the experiences of patient and healthcare providers of receiving/providing abortion services in a hospital and SRH setting, and to highlight areas of good practice and areas for improvement. It also aims to establish whether, and in what ways, receiving care in these two different contexts informs decisions about contraceptive use.

These aims will be achieved through exploratory in-depth interviews with staff (nurses, clinical support workers, sonographers and doctors) working in each context; and with women who have undergone an abortion at up to 9 weeks’ gestation.